


Wanna Be Starting Something

by HMS AUs (HMSquared)



Series: The Hounds of Vegas Universe [16]
Category: Original Work, World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Alternate Universe - Police, Alternate Universe - Vegas, Anger, Corruption, Developing Friendships, Double Entendre, Dubious Ethics, Foreshadowing, Hacking, Memories, Murder, New Job, Original Universe, Prequel, Realization, Suspicions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:54:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24311629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HMSquared/pseuds/HMS%20AUs
Summary: Daniel Bryan joins the Las Vegas Police Department and Roman takes him under his wing.
Series: The Hounds of Vegas Universe [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1401376
Kudos: 3





	1. First Day On The Job

_ July 16, 2016 _

Daniel Bryan found himself sitting in the glass box that was Hunter Hearst Helmsley’s office. The veteran cop was across from him, slowly reading over a file.

“Daniel Bryan, is it?” He nodded.

“Yes, sir.” Hunter closed the file and set it down, smiling.

“Never had a job before in your life, huh?”

“I was a grocery store clerk in high school. But as for law enforcement, no previous experience, sir.” Hunter nodded.

“What made you decide to join the force?” Daniel leaned back in his chair and thought.

“I just want to help people. Thought this would be a good place to start.” A strange expression flashed onto Hunter’s face, but it quickly disappeared.

“You got a wife or kids?”

“No, sir.” The older cop smiled.

“Welcome to Las Vegas.”

They strolled out of the glass box into the main work area. Hunter scanned the room, settling on a dark-haired cop with a Samoan tattoo. They slowly walked over, Daniel shaking in his boots.

“Roman.” His head jerked up at Hunter’s voice. “This is Daniel Bryan. He’s your new partner.”

“A partner?” Roman looked at Daniel and rose an eyebrow. “Why me?”

“It’s his first job, and who better to get him settled than you.” Oh, boy.

“Fine.” Roman gave Daniel a polite nod. “Come on over.” Hunter smiled as he walked away, the Samoan watching him go. Daniel plopped awkwardly into the chair across from him.

“So...what do you usually do?” Roman let out a long sigh.

“Well, nothing’s been called in yet, so I’ve been filing.” He picked up a cardboard box and set it on Daniel’s side of the table. “We just need to sort these by last name.”

“Got it.” Whistling happily, the plucky cop picked up two manila folders and started to catalog. Roman watched, shaking his head in amazement.

Several hours later, they signed out and walked out to the parking lot. Roman started for his truck, then stopped. Daniel was perched on the sidewalk, looking around.

“Hey man, where’s your car?”

“I took the bus.” Roman’s eyes widened.

“Why?” Daniel shrugged.

“I didn’t see the point of buying a car if I wasn’t getting the job. Same reason why I’m renting.” Roman shook his head.

“Nah man, I’m driving you home.” He opened the passenger door and smiled. “Come on.”

The ride was silent for the first ten minutes. Daniel stared idly out the window, Roman processing the day’s events. Why did Hunter want them as partners? What did it all mean?

“So...why’d you come to Vegas?” Daniel turned to look at him and shrugged.

“It’s like I told Hunter. I want to make good in the world and thought this would be a good place to start.” Roman set his jaw and stared ahead, not sure how much to say. He didn’t think the rookie was an Authority puppet already, but he still didn’t trust him.

“Noble cause.” They drove the rest of the way in silence. Upon arriving at Daniel’s house, the rookie smiled.

“Thanks for the ride.”

“Of course.” Roman watched him get out and swallowed. “Hey, Bryan?”

“Yes?”

“If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.” Daniel gave a polite nod before heading inside. Roman smiled at the wonder in the rookie’s eyes.


	2. First Time For Everything

Daniel quickly fell into a rhythm. He still took the bus and arrived at work 30 minutes early. He’d settle in at his desk and read over assignments for the day.

They hadn’t gotten anything too crazy. Mostly patrol work, which he didn’t mind. Roman knew the Strip like the back of his hand, pointing out landmarks as they walked. It was amazing to see things through his eyes.

When he arrived a week after starting, Daniel saw there was a box on his desk. An address had been scrawled on the front with Sharpie, not the station’s. He set his bag down and picked it up, curious.

“Daniel.” Hunter’s voice. He looked up, box still in his hands.

“Hunter. What’s this?”

“Some camera footage that didn’t get formatted properly. I need you to drive it over.” Daniel looked at the box again and nodded.

“Will do.” Hunter walked back to his office, then turned around and smiled.

“In the future, try not to pick up random boxes.”

“Thanks for the advice, sir.”

The address was a small gray cube of a building. It was on the very edge of town, unlabeled. Looking up from the sidewalk, Daniel took a deep breath. He felt uneasy.

There was a mail slot on the front door. Walking up to it, he saw there was a security camera perched on the ceiling. Daniel gave a friendly nod and inserted the box through the slot. He turned and walked away, still feeling uneasy.

Sitting on the bus, Daniel’s phone buzzed. He looked down and saw it was Roman.

“Roman?”

“Just got in, where are you?”

“Had to run an errand for Hunter. I’m on the bus now.” Roman quietly but forcefully exhaled. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No, just… We need to get you a car.” It was a bad lie, but Daniel didn’t catch it. “Listen, I’m gonna text you an address. Can you meet me there?”

“Sure.”

The address was for a records store wedged into the Strip. A Chinese restaurant and strip club were across the street, faded neon signs blinking in the eyes of the populace. Getting off the bus, Daniel slipped his hands into his pockets. Pulling open the glass door, he stepped inside.

Roman was chatting with the cashier, a tattooed woman named Ruby. Daniel stepped out of the doorway, suddenly feeling very awkward.

“Daniel.” He gave the rookie a friendly nod. “How are you feeling?”

“Good.” Daniel gestured to Ruby. “What’s the situation?” She turned around the computer monitor and tapped a few keys.

“Two days ago, someone hacked our security cameras. They didn’t take anything, which seemed a little weird. So I dug around and found they actually made a copy of some footage.”

“What did they copy?” Before Ruby could answer Roman’s question, the door swung open again. A tall man stood in the doorway, dressed in a leather jacket and gray sweater. His graying hair was tied back in a ponytail, and in his hands was a record.

Roman smiled in recognition, Ruby giving a polite nod. Daniel looked between the three of them and swallowed.

“I’m confused.” Roman grinned, not expecting that reaction.

“Sorry. Daniel, this is Steve Borden. He’s a retired cop and very good friend of mine.”

“Call me Sting,” he said, reaching out to shake Daniel’s hand. The rookie returned it, the uneasy feeling returning. Sting then turned to Ruby and held up the record. “Managed to get it all patched up. Plays beautifully.”

“Thank you.” Ruby took the record from him and slid a check across the table. Giving her a polite nod, Sting slipped it into his pocket and looked at Roman.

“What’cha guys working on?”

“A hacking case.”

“Well, I’ll leave you to it.” He gave Daniel a friendly nod and left the store, the bell jingling behind him. Roman turned back to Ruby, still smiling.

“So, what did they copy?”

“Empty footage of across the street. Nothing too special.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did not write Sting into this because there's also a musician with that name. It's a sheer (but brilliant) coincidence.
> 
> Did you guys catch the foreshadowing?


	3. First Sign Of Trouble

Two days after their trip to the records store, another box landed on Daniel’s desk. The same address had been scrawled on it, the gray cube of uneasiness. He waited until his lunch break, shoving the box into a drawer.

“What’s that?” Roman asked, pointing to the box when Daniel got it out. They were eating takeout from the shop near the records store. The rookie shrugged.

“Hunter wants me to deliver it for him.”

“Really?” Roman slurped down a noodle and thought. “Do you know why?”

“No. Maybe he just likes me.” Tossing his takeout into the trash, he replied,

“Well, be careful.” Roman didn’t elaborate.

Sitting in the parking lot, Daniel thought about his boss’ behavior. There were some things that hadn’t added up, things he’d dismissed. But now he was curious.

Holding the box in his lap, he gingerly opened it. Inside was a cassette tape with a note on top. Picking it up, Daniel unfolded the piece of paper.

_ We have his patterns and the cameras have been infiltrated. Put this over and set it up to download the footage. _

Arriving at the gray cube, Daniel thought about what he was doing. Getting out of the car Roman was paying for, he walked up with box in hand.

The camera was still on, but the mail slot was covered. Biting his lip, he knocked. The door cracked open to reveal a beared, tattooed man. He didn’t look happy.

“Who are you?”

“Hi. Um, Hunter Helmsley asked me to drop this off.” Daniel held up the box, praying he couldn’t tell. The man took the box, gruffly nodded, then slammed the door in his face.

The note had been folded back up inside, almost identical to its original formation. Almost.

Back at the car, Daniel scrolled through his phone. Finding Hunter’s number, he pressed it and eventually got voicemail.

“Hunter, it’s Daniel. Listen, I’m wondering if there’s anything else you need my help with.”

They had dinner at Roman’s that night. Steve dropped by with a lasagna casserole and they ate, chatting about work. Daniel listened more than he spoke, taking in the two cops he could call friends.

Halfway through the meal, his phone buzzed. Looking down, Daniel saw it was Hunter, calling him back. Silencing it, he turned back to the table.

“Who was that?” Roman asked. Daniel shrugged.

“Hunter.” Roman’s eyes flashed and he shot Steve a look. Neither of them elaborated, and the rest of dinner was silent.

After Steve left and his dishes had been put away, Daniel called Hunter back. Roman sat at the kitchen table, watching the rookie cop’s back.

“Daniel. You didn’t pick up before.”

“Sorry, I was having dinner. So...you have something for me?”

“Do you know who Steve Borden is?” The uneasy feeling flashed through him but didn’t linger. Daniel nodded.

“Yes sir, I do.”

“I need you to tail him for a while. Well, maybe not tail. Just keep an eye on him for me.”

“Has he done something wrong?” There was a long pause.

“Yes, but it’s none of your concern. I’m handling it. Can you watch him for me?”

“Of course, Hunter.”

“Alright, thank you. See you tomorrow.”

“Bye!” Daniel hung up, but didn’t get the chance to turn around. Roman slammed him into the cabinets, pinning one hand above his head.

“What did Hunter want?”

“What?”

“Hunter, what did he tell you to do?” Roman was angrier than Daniel had ever seen. He shook, panicking.

“He wanted me to keep an eye on Steve! That’s all.” Roman’s eyes widened. Seeing the look on the rookie’s face, he released his grip.

“That means he’s scared. Interesting.”

“Why would he be scared?” Roman looked at him.

“Daniel, there’s a lot about Hunter you don’t know.” He looked at the floor. “A lot you don’t know about me.”

“Okay.” Daniel leaned against the counter and tried to calm down. “What can you tell me?” After a moment, Roman shook his head.

“All I can say is...Hunter’s a very bad guy. He’s committed crime after crime and has the power to make it all go away.” He winced, a certain memory bubbling to the surface. “He hurt my two best friends.”

“Where are they now?” When Roman looked up, there were tears in his eyes.

“One of them’s following him and the other’s dead.” He sighed. “Daniel, whatever Hunter wants, he will use you as a scapegoat.” The rookie went pale.

“So, should I call him back?”

“No. You…” Roman exhaled. “When he wants something, you tell me exactly what he said.” He sighed. “And I’m sorry for snapping at you.”

“If the memories are that bad, I completely understand.” Nodding, Roman actually reached out and hugged him. Daniel smiled, not sure what was to come.


	4. The Final Scene

_ August 1, 2016 _

Daniel quietly whistled at the sight of Hunter’s house. The chief lived in a hilltop mansion, the kind he’d only seen in magazines. And he would get to walk through it.

He was having dinner with Hunter and his wife Stephanie. Apparently, something big was about to happen involving Steve. And Daniel was going to be a part of it.

Pulling up to the front gate, he took a deep breath. Reaching out, Daniel pressed the buzzer.

“Hunter? It’s Daniel.” There was no response.

He reached out to press the button again, and a hand flew over his mouth. Daniel was pulled over his chair into the backseat, screaming.

A pair of hands closed over his throat. He fought to keep his eyes open, fought to stay alive.

The last thing Daniel saw was Hunter smiling at him. It was a cold smile, one of a murderer and not a police captain.

__


End file.
